


Once Upon a Mistletoe

by jheen



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-19
Updated: 2007-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 08:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1641737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jheen/pseuds/jheen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After all, a lady needed to have her fantasies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon a Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Set some time in season 2 after Season 2's episode "Profiler, Profiled" but no obvious spoilers for season 3 or any of the later episodes in season 2.
> 
> Special thanks to Waywren and Aurelia for their beta help and to all the people in Yuletide chat who were there when I freaked out.
> 
> Written for Merry

 

_"My dear lady," the gallant knight kneeled in front of her, holding out a bouquet of daffodils. "I wish to thank thee for your assistance. We could not have rescued the children without it."_

_"Oh, Sir Morgan," the lady said bashfully as she took the flowers. "I hardly did much. It was thee and thy friends that captured the evil necromancer." She buried her nose in the yellow flowers to hide her blush_

_Sir Morgan gave Lady Penelope a smile that had her insides melting. "But without your information, we would still be searching for his lair." He stood up and held out his hand to her. "If you have no plans this evening, my lady, perhaps we could discuss it over a meal."_

_Lady Penelope reached for his hand, her eyes shin--_

"Hey Garcia," the door to my domain swung open as JJ announced herself and with a panicky flurry of fingers, I had the story I'd been writing hidden and one of my database programs up on the screen. After the fiasco with Mrs. Reid, I didn't think anyone in the team would take my writing stories about them too well.

But writing has been an outlet for my emotions for most of my life. Well, that and video games - and personally, I still can't log onto Camelot without hyperventilating over anyone who says hi to me. At least my writing is safe behind all my security programs and not in any danger of coming to life and ruining everything.

I twirl around in my seat, a bright and entirely too guilty-feeling smile on my face. "Yeah, JJ?"

JJ gave me a considering look for a moment but all she said was "Hotch wants everyone in the conference room now."

"Sure thing!" I grabbed my notepad and a brightly colored feather pen and followed her into the conference room.

Everyone but Hotch was already in there and I grinned at Morgan as I took my customary seat at the end of the table. Morgan grinned back, his mouth open to say something, but then Hotch entered before he could. I sighed to myself, a little disappointed at losing yet another chance to talk to Morgan. It'd been one case after another this past month - what was it about the holiday season that had the crazies acting even crazier?

"Excellent work with the Shoemaker case," Hotch said as he stood at the end of the table. "I expect everyone's full report on my desk by the 27th."

I tuned out the conversation as the rest of the team started to dissect the case and what they could have done differently. I'd had very little to do with this one so my presence here was more for the sake of completeness than any real need of my input. I personally thought my time was better spent trying to figure out if Prentiss would be a better fit as a cleric or a paladin.

My attention was drawn back when JJ stood up and started handing out sheets of paper to everyone. "This is a list of where everyone's holiday location and their alternate contact numbers," she says, handing me the paper before walking around the table to reach Reid and Morgan.

I start reading over the sheet as Hotch took over the meeting again, going over the standard rules of vacation - check in if you'll be going someplace different, don't take any sensitive documents from the office, be available for emergency recall - crime doesn't take holidays, after all. There weren't many surprises on the holiday plans - Hotch was staying in town with his family, JJ would be visiting her family in Pennsylvania, Gideon was going to New York, Morgan was going to Chicago with his mom, Reid was...

I froze as I stared at the line saying "Dr. Spencer Reid - Chicago with SA Derek Morgan and family, TN # 773-555-1234. Returning evening of 12/26."

* * *

"Hey beautiful."

Somehow I managed to get a smile on my face as I spun my chair around. Morgan leaned against the doorframe and while normally, it'd be a lovely sight, it was marred by Reid hovering at his shoulder. "Hey," I said neutrally. I was allowed to be miffed at Reid getting invited home by Morgan, but I wasn't about to _admit_ it either.

Morgan frowned slightly as he walked into the room, dragging Reid in behind him. "Are you okay? You don't seem your normal, perky self today."

"Eh. It's the holidays." I shrugged off his concern. "Time of the year where chocolate and depression abound."

Reid pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Actually, the Mayo clinic had done a study several years ago that couldn't find any correlation between the holidays and depression. In fact, they found that suicide rates were usually lower during December."

"Still," Morgan interrupted Reid smoothly as he leaned against the wall next to her, "it can be a hard time for somebody, especially when they're alone. And Garcia here doesn't have any family in town. Right, babe?"

I nodded cautiously.

"So, come with us to Chicago? Momma had me invite Reid here," Morgan jerked a thumb at the other agent, "so he won't be alone and I know she'll be happy to open her house to another one of my friends."

"I couldn't-" I started to say.

"We're suppose to help Morgan with the plans for the Christmas Eve party at the youth center," Reid interrupted me, looking rather nervous.

"You'll be fine. It's just a simple party and most of the kids won't even notice you. " Morgan assured Reid with a soft smile before turning back to me. "And you don't need to worry about a place to stay - we have plenty of room," Morgan offered. "We're driving up tomorrow; you can pack a bag tonight and I'll come by and pick you up on the way Reid's place around 7am. What do you say, beautiful?"

"I..." I stared at their expectant, almost hopeful faces and all my hurt melted away. Because for all my stories and all our flirting, there really hadn't been an interest in anything more. And watching them together, I knew it never would be. "Well, I'll come, but if you think I'm going to help with a party you're insane." I stood up and took both their arms, turning them toward the door. "Christmas parties offline have never been my style. You put something up in a chat room or an MMORG, then we'll talk."

"But-" Reid started to protest but I just grinned, pushing them out the door.

"Bye boys! Be careful of the mistletoe," I said with a smirk as I pointed to the sprig I'd hung up a few days earlier and then I closed the door on them.

I sat back down at my computer and after a moment, I brought up the story I'd been working on earlier. My index finger hovered over the backspace key as I read over the last few paragraphs. While I'd never let reality get between my fantasies and me before, it just didn't feel _right_ to portray Sir Morgan as devoted to Lady Penelope any longer.

Picking up my pen, I brushed the tip of the feather against my nose as I stared at the screen in indecision and just as I was lowering my finger onto the backspace, a wicked idea crossed my mind and instead, my fingers jumped to the main row of keyboard and started to fly across the letters.

After all, a lady needed to have her fantasies.

 

_Lady Penelope reached for his hand, her eyes shining. "Beloved knight, I thank thee for thy invitation, but I pray thou will understand my refusal." She pulled him up to his feet. "Another has need of you."_

_"Another?"_

_The lady nodded and led him toward the rest of his group. "Your mage friend," she said softly as she stopped in front of the White Mage Reid._

_"Dear friend?" The knight breathed softly as he released the lady's hand for that of the mage._

_The lady politely adjourned, certain they would be able to figure the rest out on their own in good time._

 


End file.
